This mutation was discovered as a branch on a `Carola` plant in 1993 on a cultivated area in a farm, located in Moshav Ha'yogev, located in Izra'el Valley, Israel, with an average night temperature of 25.degree. C. in summer and 0.degree.-5.degree. C. in winter.
The branch was vegetatively propagated from cuttings by self-rooting. From these cuttings plants were grown in a greenhouse where they were further vegetatively propagated from cuttings by self-rooting.
The resulting plants were found to be stable in their botanical characteristics, as are described below and as illustrated by typical plants parts in the attached photographs.
Asexual propagation of this new variety was performed at Moshav Ha'yogev, Israel.
The presently claimed cultivar was a natural mutation of the cultivar `Carola`.
All color definitions in this application are taken from The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England (R.H.S.), Colour Chart.
The data in the following table of comparison is based on observations made in the greenhouse at Moshav Ha'yogev, where plants were grown side-by-side, under the same conditions and under the same roof. The following observations were made between the present invention and the parent plant.
______________________________________ Prickle(s): `CAROLA` `LIGHT CAROLA` ______________________________________ shape: upper side concave to straight straight Leaf: size (mm): length 140-170 140-160 width 110-150 100-130 Petiole: length (mm) ca. 20 20-25 Foliage: young: color of RHS 144B RHS 141B upper side yellow-green light green mature: color of red-green green lower side Flowering stem: length (cm) 70-80 60-80 color medium green green Flower: diameter (mm) ca. 110 ca. 100 number of petals 33-40 28-39 Sepal: length (mm) 40-55 35-48 Petal: size (mm): length 50-60 40-60 width 55-65 40-50 color of upper side RHS 53A dark red RHS 47A/57B red color of basal spot RHS 155D white RHS 155A white color of lower side RHS 53C dark red RHS 52A red ______________________________________